“Where are they?” I ask.
He points through the crowd.
Zack crushes Rickon to his side with one arm while shouting for his omega and shaking a man who dangles from his grip. Looks like a film crew member, judging by the black shirt and dislodged headphones. Ricky’s mascara runs, turning his cheeks black. Although his face looks fragile, his aura’s anything but, steaming with a rage that physically repels me. Zack’s even worse.
I swallow hard and reach them. “It’s okay, Zack,” I tell the seething alpha. “Let him go now.”
Zack spins, dragging the man in his grip with him. “Cal-ee! Red gone!”
“We’ll find her,” I promise, running my hands down Zack’s taut arms. “Let this man go.”
“I try!” the enraged alpha shouts. “I try to obey but can’t lose ohm-ga!”
“Yeah, I know.” Feels like I have glass in my throat as I swallow. “I feel the same. We’ll find her, Zack, but you have to release this man first. It’s not his fault.”
He drops the man instantly but growls with rage. One glance at Ricky’s inert body tells me the feral alpha’s taken over the bond again, but at least this time he hasn’t seriously hurt anyone.
I gently extract Rickon from his grip, making sure the slender alpha can breathe before towing them with me toward the OCB agents. Zack flinches away from the lights, covering his eyes, and I keep one hand pressed on his back to reassure him.
Rickon looks up at me, gaze tortured. “It was Clarissa. How could she go this far?”
My heart twists and tears mist my eyes. “It’s not your fault, Rickon,” I assure him, before turning back to business. The first hours are the most crucial, so we don’t have a second to waste.
An agent I recognize from the bureau sees me coming. “Her phone stopped moving at Jordan Avenue. Agents are on their way now, but we expect they tossed the phone.”
I nod.
The agent groans and rubs his neck. “Should we assume the motive is money?”
“Yes,” I say immediately. “She already approached Rickon for that reason.”
Pierce slips in at my side. “And she had a restraining order put on her because of it.”
I nod to him, and he returns the silent greeting, glancing at the fuming alphas locked in my arms.
Rickon groans and doubles over. “Fuck! She’s hurt.”
My heart plummets as Zack howls with fury and Rickon spasms, gasping for breath. No doubt their powerful bond feeds each other’s emotions, but it’s impossible to know if what he’s feeling comes from Zack or Red. If we stand around here, Zack could implode completely.
The big alpha turns pleading eyes on me. “Cal-ee help,” he begs, tears in his eyes. “Trust.”
“We’ll hit the road,” I say, looping my arm around the distraught alpha. “Pierce, I’ll get you on the line once we’re moving.”
My car service pulls in, and Rickon groans and points. His words come slowly from a winded throat. “It was a service car, so we need to find how Clarissa stole one.”
“I’ll take care of it,” the lead agent promises before assigning a pair of agents.
I haul my gasping alphas off to the car. The driver gets out, eyes widening as he spots us. Thankfully, he’s a man I recognize.
“Lewis, I need a special service today to track down our missing omega. You got time?”
“Yes, sir,” he says, opening the door.
I planned to shove Rickon and Zack into the back and sit in the front, but Rickon’s barely breathing. After giving the address, I pile in the back and strap him into the seatbelt.
Leaning over him, I grab Zack’s knee hard. “Zack! Listen to me. You need to calm your emotions. You’re choking Rickon.”
Zack looks at me, chest heaving with deep pants, eyes glassy with rage. Then he glances down at the smaller alpha beside him. “Choke?”
